Vague law references should not be used to communicate with citizens

A “Law” Passed in 2014

The letter sent out last month, vaguely referencing a law, had two major issues with it.

First: it was sent out two weeks before it took effect. There was no time given for seniors to make any changes or look for alternatives before their prescriptions became due. On a fixed income, a 50% increase (Mo RX paid for 50% of the cost) can be devastating. I believe that Missouri should provide at minimum 30 days notice before a program is shuttered. Ideally, we would notify individuals affected at least 90 days beforehand so they can inform their representatives about how the program affects their lives.

As your state Senator, I will push for that reform.

Second: In that letter, there is a vague passage that references “A law passed in 2014”. This brings to mind a couple of questions:

What bill was passed that caused this to happen?

Who voted for it?

This is an obvious attempt from the Governor to shirk responsibility for his part in kicking 63,000 senior citizens off of the Mo RX program. Any time a government agency wants to hide responsibility for an action, they can easily reference “a law” or “the law”. That is unacceptable. This letter should have included the bill that was lead to this course of action. Missouri’s Government has a duty to provide enough information to citizens to enable understanding. As a citizen, you have a right to understand the laws that affect you. It is too easy for the government to obfuscate its actions by hiding behind vague words.

As your state Senator, I will fight to ensure that the government properly and effectively communicates to Missourians the laws that are affecting them.